INFLUENCE OF PLANTING DENSITIES ON VEGETATIVE AND GENERATIVE GROWTH AND FRUIT QUALITY OF APPLE (MALUS DOMESTICA BORK.)

The influence of planting density and training system on vegetative and generative growth of several apple cultivars (‘Idared’, ‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Jonagold’ and its mutants and ‘Elstar’ and its mutants) was studied at the Fruit Growing Centre Maribor – Experimental Station Gacnik from 1992 to 1997. Trees were planted in a single-row system at 4 densities (2,500, 5,400, 6,000 and 9,000 trees per hectare), a high-density double-row system (16,000 trees per hectare), a traditional low-density three-row system (3,200 trees per hectare) and a V-shaped system at two densities (3,700 and 18,000 trees per hectare). Trees were trained as slender spindles or super spindles.
Planting density affected trunk growth, leaf area, number of flower clusters, average fruit weight, number of fruits and fruit yield.
Trunk growth increased with increasing planting density from 2,500 to 5,400 trees per hectare and decreased with increasing density from 6,000 to 18,000 trees per hectare.
Leaf area per hectare increased with increasing planting density.
With increasing planting density, yields per tree decreased whereas cumulative yields per hectare increased.
The average number of fruits per tree also decreased with increasing planting density.
Increasing planting density decreased fruit quality (fruit weight, colour, soluble solids, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, malic and citric acid.

XXV International Horticultural Congress, Part 3: Culture Techniques with Special Emphasis on Environmental Implications, Disease, Pest Control and Integrated Pest Strategies

F. Stampar, M. Hudina, V. Usenik, K. Dolenc, P. Zadravec

Apple, fruit quality, generative growth, planting densities, vegetative growth

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1998.513.41